June 7th, 2026 – Pride Sunday
Pride Month is not simply a month to celebrate.
As Pride Month begins, many in the 2S (two-spirit) and LGBTQ+ community are carrying a mix of emotions. For some, this season brings joy, celebration, and connection. For others, it arrives alongside frustration, uncertainty, and concerns as we witness a relentless wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, harmful rhetoric, and efforts to erase or diminish the dignity of individuals and communities.
Pride Month is needed to remember all those times that 2S and LGBTQ+ folks have been discriminated against, persecuted, denied housing or employment, or refused to have been served in business establishments.
In the United States this past week the courts ruled that trans service members currently serving in the military cannot be dismissed because of their identity.
In Alberta recent events have seen the removal and banning of books from school and public libraries. I am reminded of the person who once said, “Reading a book with an LGBTQ+ character won’t make you gay any more than reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar will turn you into a butterfly.”
Consuming information or media about a topic does not alter your identity, beliefs, or orientation. Reading about a subject is simply an act of learning and expanding your perspective. Exploring different perspectives, cultures, or orientations is a fundamental way to build empathy and a better understanding of the world around you.
Pride has never been solely about celebration. Long before rainbow merchandise appeared in storefronts, LGBTQ+ people were organizing and demanding the right to love openly and authentically. Pride emerged from communities that refused to disappear. It was born from courage, sustained by love, and fueled by the conviction that every person deserves to live with dignity and belonging.
As members of the United Church of Canada, we affirm that gender and sexuality are gifts of God, and welcome people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Rev. Deborah